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Have you got a beer lover to find a holiday gift for? Make sure they’re not in the room when you’re reading this — we’ve got a few suggestions.

While a carefully-chosen beer is always a sure bet to please a suds aficionado, there are other good choices, including books, classes, a beer-lover’s tour of Toronto, even a day working in a brewpub.

Here’s a look at some of the best options out there:

Read

The World Atlas of Beer (Sterling Epicure, $30). It’s tough to follow a legend. That, however, didn’t stop Stephen Beaumont and Tim Webb from trying. The legend in question is Michael Jackson (the beer writer, not the singer) and his trailblazing 1977 tome World Guide to Beer.

Like Jackson’s original, this book is an attempt to survey world beer styles and brewers, but also includes a look at beer cultures and traditions around the globe. Also like Jackson’s book, this one is pretty enough to be on your coffee table, and erudite enough to sit on a library shelf.

While no beer book can ever again be as groundbreaking as Jackson’s, this one is a worthy successor.

Shakespeare’s Local (Macmillan, $30). Any book by Pete Brown is bound to be a rollicking read, and this one is no exception. Brown has won countless awards for his witty, exciting looks at world drinking culture (Three Sheets to the Wind) and a re-creation of the sea-going voyages of the original India Pale Ale (Hops and Glory).

This time, Brown uses a pub, the George in Southwark, as a window onto six centuries of English history. The George was built during the 15th century, and survives to this day as a fully-functioning pub. While admitting that he can’t prove for sure if The Bard himself actually sipped ale at the George, Brown makes a good case that he did — it was known to have been a favourite drinking hole of actors in Shakespeare’s day.

Learn

Whether you’re a beer fan looking to deepen your knowledge of your favourite drink, or looking to work at a quality pub or restaurant, the Prud’homme Beer Certification has something to offer you. Set up by former Labatt sales staffer Roger Mittag, the Prud’homme has three levels of study, with the first level, “Beer Enthusiast,” including either 12 hours of classroom instruction, or 6-8 hours of online learning.

The Old Toronto Beer Tour is a seven-hour romp through the city’s beer history, with visits to breweries past and present, and includes (of course) some refreshments. Book your spot at www.beerloverstour.com/

Sip

At this time of year, you’ll be able to find good gift packs and giant bottles of all kinds in the beer section at your local LCBO. By all means, just wander in and grab whichever one looks appealing. But keep an eye out for these four in particular: Barenaked Ladies Imperial Chocolate Stout ($13.95 per 750 mL bottle) is a monstrously rich, chocolaty brew that was a collaboration between Barrie’s Flying Monkeys brewery and Canadian music legends The Barenaked Ladies. To my palate, anyway, this is the best beer Flying Monkeys has ever made.

Cuvee van de Kaizer Blauw ($7.55) is the pinnacle of the beer range brewed by Belgium’s Het Anker brewery, in the ecclesiastical town of Mechelen. This rich, strong (11 per cent alcohol) dark ale is fill with aromas and flavours of dried fruit, caramel and has a distinct wine-like note. It also ages well and comes in a beautifully-embossed bottle. All in all, definitely gift-worthy.

Samuel Smith’s Selection ($17.50) includes three beers (Old Brewery Pale Ale, Nutbrown Ale and Oatmeal Stout) from one of England’s most traditional breweries, a pair of coasters and an official Samuel Smith’s pint glass.

Brew

Spend a day as a brewer, working at North Toronto brewpub Granite with owner Ron Keefe and his daughter/brewing partner Mary Beth Keefe. Get a close-up, hands-on look at the brewing process (and a well-deserved pint or two at day’s end).

Visitors should plan to be there from 7 a.m. until roughly 4 p.m. Best to wear comfortable work clothes, and either rubber boots or sneakers. Call 416-322-0723 to book. The experience costs $200, and includes lunch, all the coffee you can drink, and those pints.

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